Jay Z being denied Tribeca penthouse
Lili2
BAD-BOY rapper Jay-Z won't be setting up house in a $7.5 million TriBeCa duplex
penthouse if his prospective new neighbors have their way.
Residents of 195 Hudson St. say they'd much rather have Hollywood hottie Nicole
Kidman - who's also interested - living upstairs. They've even hired a lawyer
and plan to sue if current owners Peter and Sara Arnell try to sell to Jay-Z
(real name Shawn Carter) because they fear he's a threat to their safety.
Irate owners told us the thug lifestyle led by Jay-Z (nick-named Jigga) doesn't
fit with their family building. The rapper's rap sheet includes a recent
conviction for stabbing a record executive, Lance Rivera, landing him three
years' probation.
Over-eager bodyguards are also an issue. In a warning clearly aimed at Jay-Z,
who's seen the penthouse three times, signs appeared in the lobby saying that
private security personnel were not permitted to enter the building carrying
weapons.
"It's not just that Jay-Z is controversial, he's dangerous," said one owner.
"We wouldn't care if someone controversial like Howard Stern wanted to move in.
And we're outraged that a top agency like Insignia Douglas Elliman would even
be showing the property to someone like Jay-Z."
A rep for Jay-Z did not return calls for comment.
Other stars who inspected the penthouse include Will and Jada Smith, who took a
pass. A rep for Insignia Douglas Elliman declined to comment on who was
interested in the property. But he confirmed the asking price was up from the
$7.25 million it commanded when last sold in June 2000.
The pad boasts more than 9,000 square feet inside and a 3,000-square-foot
terrace, on which the Arnells had planned to build a swimming pool.
Advertising guru Arnell is no stranger to Jay-Z. He was credited with
engineering the plug for Motorola two-way pagers in the lyrics of the rapper's
2000 hit "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)."
The antsy Arnells ditched downtown after 9/11 and moved into a Westchester
spread bought from Sony Music chief Tommy Mottola.
The asking price for their Hudson Street penthouse is a snip compared to the
reported $18.5 million they plunked down for the 49-acre estate in Katonah.
Residents describe 195 Hudson as a friendly, family-oriented building.
Apartment 2A even boasts its own biennial art event, timed to coincide with the
current Whitney Biennial, open until May 27 (it has two artists).
In addition to sweeping water views and more space than your local bowling
alley, the luxury penthouse comes with another unexpected perk. Whichever
mutli-millionaire buys the penthouse may be eligible for post-9/11 mortgage
subsidies.
maryanne kehoe
would even be >showing the property to someone like Jay-Z."
Translation: black people are not welcome in this building!
I don't care too much for his music or his lifestyle, but if he
qualifies (in terms of credit and financial considtions) to buy the
property, and the owners are willing to sell to him, I don't see the
problem here, unless it is one of those buildings that requires board
approval before the deal is signed.
LisaLatte
I don't care too much for his music or his lifestyle, but if he
qualifies (in terms of credit and financial considtions) to buy the
property, and the owners are willing to sell to him, I don't see the
problem here, unless it is one of those buildings that requires board
approval before the deal is signed.
>>
I'm sorry but I wouldn't want a THUG who leads a thug lifestyle living in my
building either. I don't care how much money the guy has or if he's black or
purple, if he's hanging around with a posse of other criminals, you're tempting
fate by living next door to one. Who's to say if one day your child gets caught
in the crossfire of a drive-by vendetta shooting in front of the building? I
wouldn't want my family exposed to that either. And yes, from what I heard, it
is a building that requires board approval.
JosieCat
Madonna has gotten turned down by co-op boards, so it's not about race. It's
about being worried that the tenant will bring the "wrong element" into the
building. I'm sure if Will Smith was interested in the property they wouldn't
have a problem with him buying it. I hope they turn Jay-Z down. He's just a
rich thug who thinks he can buy is way in and out of anything. He got off so
easy for that stabbing conviction. He needs to know that just because he's rich
and famous that doesn't mean that people always have to kiss his ass.
maryanne kehoe
element" into the building.
And the "wrong element" can be described many different ways, especially
if the tenants are older people. I am just trying to view this from a
landlord's perspective. What I don't understand about the NY laws is
that it seems to me that co-op boards aren't subject to the fair housing
regulations because they are operating the condo as a "private" (if that
is the right word) building, sort of as a private club voting
membership.
The laws here in Georgia state you can only check previous residency and
credit history in determining if your applicant qualifies to rent from
you. The laws in Michigan are similar....if Jay-Z came to me and said he
wanted to rent my house, I could *not* by law use his conviction as a
reason to deny him the oppty. to rent, otherwise I could have a whopper
of a lawsuit on my hands.
Yes, as a landlord I would be concerned about his conviction(s?)....but
using it as an excuse not to rent to him could land me in trouble.
JulieNTexas
>that it seems to me that co-op boards aren't subject to the fair housing
>regulations because they are operating the condo as a "private" (if that
>is the right word) building, sort of as a private club voting
>membership.
>
>The laws here in Georgia state you can only check previous residency and
>credit history in determining if your applicant qualifies to rent from
>you. The laws in Michigan are similar....if Jay-Z came to me and said he
>wanted to rent my house, I could *not* by law use his conviction as a
>reason to deny him the oppty. to rent, otherwise I could have a whopper
>of a lawsuit on my hands.
>
>Yes, as a landlord I would be concerned about his conviction(s?)....but
>using it as an excuse not to rent to him could land me in trouble.
>
These aren't "apartments" that you rent. They are homes that you "buy." Big
difference. The New York real estate market is a strange and odd animal. If
you don't like it -- live in Jersey.
Mary Campbell
>>What I don't understand about the NY laws is
>>that it seems to me that co-op boards aren't subject to the fair housing
>>regulations because they are operating the condo as a "private" (if that
>>is the right word) building, sort of as a private club voting
>>membership.
Co-ops are subject to the Fair Housing Act.
A co-op is a corporation. The people who live in the building are
shareholders who buy enough shares to cover the cost of an apartment in
the building and their share of taxes and maintenance fees.
The co-op board can't discriminate on grounds of race, religion or any of
the other categories covered by the Fair Housing Act. However, they can
refuse to sell shares if they think that the prospective buyer won't be
suitable in other ways (having a pet, for example) or can't afford to keep
up with their payments.
LisaLatte
<< The co-op board can't discriminate on grounds of race, religion or any of
the other categories covered by the Fair Housing Act. However, they can
refuse to sell shares if they think that the prospective buyer won't be
suitable in other ways (having a pet, for example) or can't afford to keep
up with their payments.
>>
And I would think being a criminal and leading a thug lifestyle would be
considered *unsuitable*.
JulieNTexas
ever lived in, they run credit checks and criminal checks. If you have a
police record, especially if it has to do with violence or drugs or sex crimes,
you won't be allowed in. Also, there are communities all over the country that
specifically cater to adult living only, i.e., no kids allowed. I am sure that
the board had reasons for refusing his application other than he was black.
Maybe it was the armed professional thugs he called bodyguards, he brought in
the building with him, when it was stated that no firearms were allowed in the
building?
hamilton
lisa...@aol.com (LisaLatte) wrote:
when my brother sublet a condo in NYC he had to sign a contract stating
that he would not allow his teenage sons to be present alone in the condo
i.e. use it when their father/mother were not in residence. condo boards
reject tenants and buyers on all sorts of grounds.